Comics and Graphic Novels – TalkNerdyWithUshttp://talknerdywithus.com
Mon, 19 Mar 2018 01:10:01 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4http://talknerdywithus.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/kX0dL2KQ_400x400-125x125.jpgComics and Graphic Novels – TalkNerdyWithUshttp://talknerdywithus.com
323237600393Image Comics Has New Comics For 2018http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/03/06/image-comics-has-new-comics-for-2018/
http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/03/06/image-comics-has-new-comics-for-2018/#respondTue, 06 Mar 2018 16:00:30 +0000http://talknerdywithus.com/?p=76496Hey Guys! It’s Carey and I’m back again with all your comic updates. Recently, Image Comics released news about their upcoming line. Here are my top picks of what you guys need to know.

Crowded, by Christopher Sebela, Ted Brandt, Ro Stein and Triona Farrell will feature a fictional app called Reaper that allows anyone to crowd fund assassination attempts. The protagonist, Charlie Ellison, will face down waves of hit men with his less than perfect bodyguard. This series will be out this summer.

Annie Wu introduced her new book Dead Guy Fan Club. This story will follow fans of a fallen rock star into adulthood as they investigate the death of their idol. This sounds interesting and would make for a god show in the same vein as TBS’s Search Party. You can grab your copy this fall.

Sam Humphries (Nightwing & Green Lantern) and Jen Bartel have teamed up to create Blackbird, a fantasy story that Image depicts as HarryPotter meets Riverdale. This series will be released from Image Comics in October 2018.

Image will be releasing J. H. Williams and Haden Blackman’s Echolandslater this year. It tells the story of a young thief who must escape a vengeful wizard in order to save a world that has forgotten its own history.

The Last Siege is a medieval war story told in the style of a spaghetti western. Landry Q. Walker and Justin Greenwood bring this series to life this summer. Greenwood said, “I’d been looking for a book to really cut loose on and this project came along at the perfect time. I haven’t drawn this much dirt and blood in a long time and loving every minute of it.”

Image Comics has a plethora of new and old titles coming out this year. Look out for a sequel to this list. Catch you next time.

]]>http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/03/06/image-comics-has-new-comics-for-2018/feed/076496A Great Reason To Be Happy! SyFy Renews Happy! For A Second Seasonhttp://talknerdywithus.com/2018/02/03/a-great-reason-to-be-happy-syfy-renews-happy-for-a-second-season/
http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/02/03/a-great-reason-to-be-happy-syfy-renews-happy-for-a-second-season/#respondSat, 03 Feb 2018 20:34:15 +0000http://talknerdywithus.com/?p=75843Happy!, SyFy’s bizarre, over-the-top, crazy, and violent yet strangely endearing and heartwarming series has been renewed for a second season.

The show, starring Christopher Meloni as Nick Sax and Patton Oswalt as the voice of Happy, is based on the graphic novel by writer Grant Morrison and artist Darick Robertson. It’s the story of Sax, a disgraced cop/former hitman who finds out the daughter he never knew he had has been kidnapped by a fiendish Santa Claus and an equally fiendish children’s TV host. He receives this news from a little blue flying unicorn, who introduces himself as Happy, his daughter Hailey’s imaginary friend.

The uproarious quest to save Hailey introduces us to a mob run by the sinister Mr. Blue (Ritchie Coster), his reality TV star daughter, the aforementioned fiends, a bug orgy partying crew, murderous imaginary friends, an ex-wife, an ex-mistress, a Chinese hit squad, a walking dead guy and a whole passel of strong-willed children led by Nick’s daughter Hailey. It’s an audacious show, perhaps the most edgy series SyFy has produced since last summer’s Blood Drive. It is the network’s biggest launch since January 2016 across all key demographics.

I, for one, loved the series’ oddness and gleefully twisted madcap plot. Christopher Meloni is exceptional as Nick; his expressive eyebrows and clenched mouth are deserving of an award all on their own.

I love the show’s strong women – right or wrong, good or bad, they are savvy, self-controlled, quick-witted and determined. Lili Mirjnick is wonderful as Lt. Meredith McCarthy, Nick’s mistress and ex-partner who has to navigate her mob connection and IA in order to help save Hailey. There’s resourceful and determined Amanda (Medina Senghore), Hailey’s mom, capable of moving heaven and earth for her daughter; Isabella (Debi Mazar), the reality star/mob princess who’s also going to move heaven (literally) and earth for her own offspring; the scary and mostly crazy strega, Assunta (Antonia Rey), who likes to mix a little menstrual blood in her gravy; Meredith’s mom, Jessica (Laura Poe), who takes drastic measures to escape being a pawn in Mr. Blue’s schemes, and of course young Hailey (Bryce Lorenzo), the brave and smart little girl who becomes the rock the other kidnapped children rely on and who is able to outwit sadistic Santa, Mr. Blue and hitman Smoothie (Patrick Fischler) .

And, of course, there’s Happy himself, the lovable, adorable imaginary friend who goes from childhood innocent to badass tickle-torture artist during the course of his adventures with Nick. He is the light, the one bright spot in Nick’s bleak and twisted world. Indeed, the cinematography is mostly dark and gritty, reflecting the bars, alleyways, secret tunnels, abandoned warehouses and rooftops that are Nick’s natural habitat. Happy, with his bright blue color and shiny horn, is the one thing that stands out and brightens his world.

The series finale was Wednesday, February 1st, and wrapped up the major plot points while leaving the audience on pins and needle regarding Mr. Blue, the password, Sonny Shine and more.

Chris McCumber, President of entertainment networks at NBC Universal Cable Entertainment said in a statement, “Happy! struck a chord with our SyFy audience and disrupted the TV landscape with its unique storytelling and outrageous performances led by Christopher Meloni. If people thought this season was crazy – I can’t wait for fans to see what Grant Morrison, Brian Taylor and the entire cast and crew have in store for Sax and Happy!”

Are you a fan of Happy!? Are you “Happy” with this announcement? Share your favorite moments of Season 1, and what you’re looking forward to in Season 2 in the comments below!

]]>http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/02/03/a-great-reason-to-be-happy-syfy-renews-happy-for-a-second-season/feed/075843Advance Review: Image Comic’s “Twisted Romance” Issue 3http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/02/01/advance-review-image-comics-twisted-romance-issue-3/
http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/02/01/advance-review-image-comics-twisted-romance-issue-3/#respondThu, 01 Feb 2018 20:38:00 +0000http://talknerdywithus.com/?p=75803Image Comics has been on a roll recently. The third issue of their Twisted Romance series is just as impressive as the previous two issues. The featured love stories in this issue are a bit more whimsical and somber than the last six stories.

First up is Invincible Heart by Alex De Campi and Carla Speed McNeil. De Campi does it again, bringing us a love story between a space captain and the rebel leader of the ground forces. McNeil’s artwork is refreshing for a black and white piece. It makes you focus more on what’s happening in each scene of this homoerotic thrill.

At first glance, this seems like a knockoff of any number of SyFy original movies, but De Campi sweeps us into a meeting of the minds with Justin and Black. This is a classic government versus the people argument. Justin has his orders, though the enigmatic Black is all he can think about. So what do you do when you start to fall in love with someone you’ve been charged with executing? You guys will have to pick up your copy to find out.

The prose story in this volume is The Last Minute by Jess Bradley. This story boasts all of the feels of a doomed love with all of the suspense of an alien invasion. Bradley presents Naomi Hansen and Daniel Cline in the first few paragraphs climbing an impenetrable tower. We later find out that these two have been preparing for months in order to stop alien creatures from continuing to ravage the planet.

Naomi’s determination to make a last stand has led Daniel to open his heart, even with their possible demise looming in the distance. Bradley delivers a romantic tale that’s sure to hit you right when you least expect it.

Olivia Lies, Pierced by Margaret Trauth is the second comic and last story in this volume. Trauth presents the Staisbridge Academy of Diplomacy, where all manner of anthropomorphized animals take lessons for combat and noble peacekeeping. Think Zootopia in space. Trauth shows Olivia Featherstone, a feline troublemaker and her friend Baron K, a mouse and heir to a space dynasty. These two get up to much mischief while discovering what they really mean to each other.

These stories are more lighthearted than we’ve seen in the previous issues; even the impending doom in The Last Minute. Image Comics has one more issue left in this series. I wonder what stories we’ll see in the finale.

You can purchase the digital edition from Amazon or subscribe to the print editions at Image Comics.

]]>http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/02/01/advance-review-image-comics-twisted-romance-issue-3/feed/075803Advance Review: Image Comic’s “Twisted Romance” Issue 2http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/01/30/advance-review-image-comics-twisted-romance-issue-2/
http://talknerdywithus.com/2018/01/30/advance-review-image-comics-twisted-romance-issue-2/#respondTue, 30 Jan 2018 23:11:49 +0000http://talknerdywithus.com/?p=75731Have you missed me guys? Aww, that’s so sweet (please, God, let it be sweet). But we have business to attend to. I’m talking about Image Comic’s second issue of Twisted Romance. Just like the first issue, there are two comic stories and one narrative fiction piece.

The first comic is Twinkle & The Star, by Alex De Campi and Alejandra Gutiérrez. It features a burgeoning romance between an asexual celebrity and an overly conscious, full-figured woman. This is the type of love story you haven’t seen outside of fan fiction, but it’s certainly one that should be told. Representation is important, especially in mainstream media.

Gutiérrez’s art and De Campi’s dialogue-style make for a cute introduction to characters that aren’t always at the forefront of what audiences consume. This story should definitely continue.

Vita Ayala concentrates her efforts on love in the fiction piece, Back at Your Door. It features college student, Luz Lopez, and her intense crushes on fellow students Adrienne and Maddison. Luz has mixed feelings about her platonic relationships, but realizes some friendships should not cross that forbidden line. Or…maybe everything is in her head and she can have all she is looking for in a partner (or partners). No spoilers from me, you guys are going to have to read this one on your own.

The last comic is by Meredith McClaren entitled, Would You Even Know It? A nameless woman and her AI laptop have a discussion about the nature of love and whether it’s possible for the two of them to actually be “in love” with each other. I like that McClaren keeps both characters nameless. It makes you guess who is the true human. Or if it’s even humane to treat an artificial intelligence like a person.

We see a woman and a laptop, but neither of them operates under normal conditions for a laptop or a woman. Then again that view may come from my own bias, which I now realize may be McClaren’s point. The lines of attachment and romantic love are blurred as the woman and her laptop define her biological nature and the mechanics of the laptop. Each one coexists and co-depends on the other, but can there ever really be more?

What do you guys think?

You can purchase the digital edition from Amazon or subscribe to the print editions at Image Comics.

Hey guys! Welcome back to my comic review shop, where I take on all manner of image-induced shenanigans. This week I’ll be looking at the four-issue release of Twisted Romance by Image Comics. Each issue features three stories for a total twelve, count ‘em, twelve tales of romance from the everyday to the supernatural.

The mix of comic and narrative is enough to satiate comic lovers and literary chasers. I loved reading each story, and I wish each one would continue. I’m definitely going to follow these creators from now on.

The first issue featured a comic called OldFlames by Katie Skelly and Alex De Campi. It is a story of deception and intrigue in the guise of 70s-style pop art. Skelly’s artwork evoked the time period exceptionally well. I say this with confidence, even though I was born in 1988.

De Campi weaves the tale of Misha, a vampire on the straight and narrow, whose business is heartbreak. He takes a job that leads him to a violent, former love, something he doesn’t need as it’s hard enough to be a vampire who doesn’t indulge in violence. The emotional turmoil he feels is evident throughout his sexual exploits. But come on, it’s the 70s. Who isn’t sexually free?

I would love to see Misha’s backstory and how he became the semi-strait-laced vampire who breaks people up for a living. This would make for great Netflix show. What do you guys think?

Twisted Romance #1

The second story is a narrative tale of vampires, wendigos and the humans who hunt them. Magen Cubed delivers a fantastic and gripping story of one-sided homoerotic love in Leather & Lace.

Brooding and depressed vampire, Dorian, fights other supernatural creatures at night with his partner, and secret crush, Cash Leroy. Magen gives these two heartthrobs the royal “will they, won’t they?” treatment. She then adds in a mix of danger on the supernatural hunting fields to bring forth a sweet love story.

Red Medusa on the Road to Hell

The final story in this anthology comes from Sarah Horrocks. In Red Medusa on the Road to Hell, two lovers are reunited in Hell of all places. This story produced my favorite line, “The dreams of the body obscure the memories of the spirit, but I remember your skin.”

The tragic lovers are hauntingly inspiring. Sarah’s art conjures a visceral reaction. Images of blood and Hell evoke, what I imagine to be, the nightmares of victims of demonic possession. The story and images are insanely difficult to look at, yet they’re so compelling in their truthful depiction of the love these two people share in an abyss of torture.

There is a depth in the darkness that oozes complex creativity on the part of Sarah Horrocks.

Image Comics has made me a fan today. But let’s hear from you guys. Whose got the most twisted romance story?

You can purchase the digital edition from Amazon or subscribe to the print editions at Image Comics.

On January 12-13, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Television Group came to my adopted hometown of Washington, D.C. to hold the first ever “DC in D.C.” event, which boasted a slew of stars and producers from all the DCTV series, as well as DC comic book writers and artists and invited guests from politics, government service, entertainment, business, academia and more. Held at the Newseum, and best described as a smaller scale comic con, the event featured panel discussions that explored the intersection of comic books, culture and entertainment. It also featured autograph signings, a screening of the DC Universe’s animated movie Batman: Gotham By Gaslight and the world premiere of the DCTV Series Black Lightning.

“DC in D.C.” was unlike other comic events in that the panels were not separated by medium; each one had a mix of comics, television and animation. But the most unique thing was that the panels, for the most part, focused on issues of representation, highlighting race, feminism, mental health and more. As someone who studied the intersection of society and entertainment in college, and spent a semester specifically looking at societal issues in comic books, this event was of real interest to me. From the overwhelming turnout, it seemed like it was of great interest to many, with some having traveled across the country just for this specific event.

My favorite part of the weekend, however, was getting to attend the Black Lightning Premiere Party which was held at Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. This party was invite only, so after the public screening of Black Lightning I headed outside the Newseum with a group of other journalists and waited to board a shuttle headed for the soiree. Throughout the night, everyone enjoyed the live band, open bar and endless stream of food. We also mingled with all the celebrities in attendance for “DC in D.C.” The rest of the museum was open to explore, which thrilled me as it’s my favorite museum in all of D.C.

Overall, the entire event was beyond my expectation. Due to the short turn-around on the event, I feared they wouldn’t be prepared enough to do justice to such an important topic as representation in pop culture. Happily, I was blown away by the amount of people they brought on board and how deeply they examined the topics.

While I don’t have much to compare it to, as I have yet to cover a comic con, I found the atmosphere to be very similar to that of ATX TV Festival. All of the guests were very approachable outside of the press rooms–as long as you didn’t crowd them and fangirl out–and were more than willing to take a few seconds to chat and take a picture. While I’m not holding out hope, I would love for DC to make this an annual event. (DC can be a cool place to talk about pop culture too, y’all.)

The Aftermath: Battle & Trauma in Comics panel

As press I got to participate in roundtable interviews with the panelists. Here are some of the best quotes to come from the green room.

On the topic of race:

“Coming up I was reading all of this stuff. These are my comic books. More Marvel than DC, but that’s OK. They forgive me. To now get to see Black Lightning, to see David Harewood on Supergirl, to see these people of color who are representing these heroes that are undersold sometimes…. Like who knew about Black Lightning besides nerds? I have a statue in my bathroom of Black Lightning, which my wife let me keep for some reason. [laughs] I thank everyone for supporting it because, one, it gives me employment, but it’s important to see these different versions of heroism. To see every shade. I can’t wait for the new Spider-Man to be what he is in the comic books, the new Hulk to be what he is in the comic books, so that we do see more people of color. We understand a certain narrative, let’s see all these other narratives that exist…and that’s exciting,” — Chris Chalk, Lucius Fox on Gotham

“Again, as a Black Brit, to see the sheer amount of Black shows that are happening here now, not all have been successful, but its great. You’ve got Black Lightning coming out. Ava Duverny in terms of directing. It’s an exciting time. I’d say we’re still probably about 10 years behind in Britain, but we do have a new generation coming through with John Boyega and Daniel Kuhlua. So that’s tremendously exciting that the younger generation is getting an opportunity. But certainly, when I was growing up those opportunities weren’t there.” — David Harewood, J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter and Hank Henshaw/Cyborg Superman on Supergirl

“These heroes have always been social justice warriors from the very beginning. You look at the backgrounds of the individuals who created these characters, they were extensions of fights they were fighting. I think people who say that [that they weren’t always SJWs] are ignorant of the history of the creators and the history of comics. The odd thing is, I don’t think I’m injecting politics in a lot of the work. It’s perspective. It’s reality. I write about life and people presume it to be politics.” — John Ridley, writer of The Other History of the DC Universe

David HarewoodChris Chalk

On the topic of feminism:

“It feels nice to be in a space that is welcoming, because a lot of the time I feel like the topics that we’re discussing have always been shut down. Like feelings. Like depression and anxiety. I’ve never been in a space where that’s actually been interested in… It’s nice to have space where you can just talk and not be judged.” — Camren Bicondova, young Selina Kyle/Catwoman on Gotham

“There used to be a real feeling of…you would just kind of toe the line a little bit. You would smile and say what you needed to say, and now it just feels like it’s blown completely open and it’s almost welcome. Our feelings, our thoughts, our reflections on how we should be treated, what we should be wearing, how much we should be paid, every single aspect of our lives is open for us to be like, ‘No, this isn’t acceptable anymore,’ and to not then lose our jobs instantly, or to then not get another job, because it’s like…if all women are saying this then you will have no choice but to listen.” — Erin Richards, Barbara Kean on Gotham

“It’s really cool. I mean, just doing that women’s panel felt really good. Even now, talking about things and women’s issues, like, not that I don’t like talking about the shows because I do, but it’s very refreshing. And I’m very passionate about women’s rights. I mean we all talk about it, all the time, and to be able to discuss these things, and the fact that people want to hear about it, that they care, it feels really good. This is a great platform for that, and being here in D.C., I don’t know, there’s something about it that makes it all feel a little more serious.” [laughs] — Caity Lotz, Sara Lance/White Canary on D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow

“I think as we’re watching these characters evolve, Warner Brothers and CW are also watching where these characters evolve, and where mistakes are being made, and where things are working, where women are being strengthened. It’s kind of a course correction and the more we do it the better these characters get.” — Candice Patton, Iris West-Allen on The Flash

“It’s such an excellent question, frankly, that it was the thesis for our entire series; ‘What can Batwoman do that Batman can’t?’ Every single one of the arcs has tried to measure in a way, [just] that. Batman is so big that it’s like the lion and ant, where he roars but the ant just goes down into the underworld. She’s a character that can break these codes he has. He’s got the hard line against guns, she’s not so sure about how she feels about it. He’s got the hard line against killing, she was going to be a solider. Taking of a life in battle was something she was going to have to address. There’s all of these places where they’re in such a similar track, but they have such divergent morals with how they interact with what they see as their duty. That’s a question we try to answer every single arc.” — Marguerite Bennett, writer of Batwoman and Bombshells: United

Caty Loitz, Danielle Panabaker, Candice PattonMariko Tamaki

On the topic of LGBTQ representation:

“I make my art more queer, and more brown, as much as possible. I try to be as…I don’t hate inclusive, I think that’s an important word, but I hate the word diversity. I try to be as normalizing as possible, because I grew up in New York City and there are a lot of people that look like all of the people at this table, often at the same table. You can’t really tell what is going on behind the scenes, but I identify as NB and as queer. I know many people that do. So I want to put that into my stories as much as possible, because that is all a part of being human. I’m no one single part of myself. They are all very important.” — Vita Ayala, DC comic writer

“I think with my character, one of my favorite parts, and one of the most meaningful parts, is that she’s bisexual. I am loving the direction that [the show] is going right now, but I also think it’s important not to gay-wash her and see that bisexuality. I think it’s hard for people to understand, who are not really around it, what bisexual is or what it means…and so making sure that we keep that and normalize it for more people.” — Caity Lotz, Sara Lance/White Canary on D.C.’s Legends of Tomorrow

Mark Russell and Steve OrlandoVita Ayala and Marguerite Bennett

On the topic of mental health:

“I think it’s about time. We’ve been at war as a nation now for over 15 years. Many of our young people are veterans now themselves. I think the fact that we’re talking about it is a positive and not a negative, but I want to make sure that we’re being truthful. Post traumatic stress doesn’t mean you’re going to come home and shoot up a school or post office. That’s not what we’re talking about here. We’re saying that you can have it but you can overcome. You can fight through, and you can get help, and you can come back and do amazing things. You can be soccer coaches, you can be principals at schools, you can run corporations. Hell, you can even come back and be Detective Alvarez on a show like Gotham. And that’s the truth about what it can be.” — J.W. Cortes, Detective Carlos Alvarez on Gotham

“I think there are more and more people out there suffering from this disease than [there] were ten years ago, so I think that’s leading the issue to be talked about more and more. There is a Netflix show from a distinguished competitor of DC, that I shall not name, that really deals with this issue. But I think it deals with this issue really, really well. They made an excellent show that really deals with PTSD, and I thought it was one of the best representations out there. On the panel it was brought up that it is a forgotten disease, and it really is, because the symptoms aren’t physical. For so many years people would just be like, ‘Man up. You’ve got shell shock. Who cares?’ But now people realize like: no, this is a super traumatic event and it is time we deal with it.” — Jason Inman, Host of DC All Access

“I really believe that the world of entertainment, whether it is through comics or tv shows or through movies, is a powerful vehicle through which we can change how our country thinks, not just about PTSD but about emotions and emotional being more broadly. We live in an age where everyone is not getting their information all in one place. They’re not listening to lectures all the time, to think about things like mental health, but they are spending a fair amount of time engaging with various entertainment products.” — Dr. Vivek Murthy, the 19th Surgeon General of the United States

“I’m actually really glad, because stories like Mister Miracle could be the touchstone for PTSD in terms of comics. You know how comics have these touchstones in terms of stories? And I think Mister Miracle could be that comic book, because we don’t have that right now.” — Jason Inman, Host of DC All Access

J.W. CortesJason Inman

On why an event like DC in D.C. is so important:

“It’s enormously important to me as a Black Brit. I feel quite honored to be a part of this group, because, obviously, I’m not African-American. But as a Black Britain, I’ve always looked up to Americans, specifically Black Americans: Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Paul Robson, Harry Belafonte. The whole Civil Rights movement started here. As a Black Brit, it’s always the Americans who have guided me in terms of heroism and fighting for Civil Rights, as well as Mandela and other figures, but I think primarily it has been Black Americans who have led that way so it’s a tremendous honor for me to be here on MLK Day, a couple of miles away from where he gave his famous speech.” — David Harewood, J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter and Hank Henshaw/Cyborg Superman on Supergirl

“It’s phenomenal. When we were coming back from San Diego Comic Con, when they mentioned they were thinking about doing this, at this time of year…to be honest, I cried just because of the impact. And I was like, ‘I get to be a part of that.’ I just felt so privileged. It’s just a wonderful, perfect convergence of time. It’s MLK weekend and to have it here…you can’t market anything better than DC in D.C., right? That’s just meant to be.” — Cress Williams, Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning on Black Lightning

“Well for me, the important thing about writing has always been taking your characters seriously. That’s how you always get to the good stuff…is taking your characters seriously. So if DC is willing to take a gay, pink lion seriously enough to bring it to an event like this, it really allows me to do my job in taking the character seriously. It shows that they back me up. It sounds like something that might be silly or frivolous but I take it very seriously, and I think I have something important to say in writing this comic. And the fact that DC would bring me to an event like this, it just proves that they do too.” — Mark Russell, writer of DC’s The Flintstones and Snagglepuss comics

“D.C. is a place of change, and so I feel really honored to be here and to have these discussions. These are really important discussions we’re having…. Every building has history and importance, and we have so much power to change our country. To be invited to something like this is incredible. Kudos to DC and Warner Brothers for even allowing these discussions to even happen. It says a lot about these corporations that we work for that they’re willing to bring us out and engage with audiences and have these discussions about women’s rights and diversity in comic books.” — Candice Patton, Iris West-Allen on The Flash

The film is rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, sexual content, brief graphic nudity, and some drug material.

Also included is a sneak peek of the hotly anticipated The Death of Superman, due out later this year.

Three featurettes and a commentary (Burnett & Tucker) are included on the Combo Pack and Digital editions–Outback Rogue: Captain Boomerang, Nice Shot, Floyd! The Greatest Marksman in the DCU & The Power of Plot Devices, MacGuffins and Red Herrings.

And here for your viewing pleasure is the trailer for Suicide Squad HTP.

The story centers on Yoon Bum, a young South Korean man with an unhealthy obsession for the popular Sangwoo. Bum takes his obsessive compulsion to the next level by breaking into Sangwoo’s house. What he finds is disturbing and earth shattering. When they said “never meet your idols,” they weren’t kidding. Sangwoo takes this opportunity to take Bum captive and teach him a lesson about disrupting a crime already in progress. The relationship that develops between the two is sparked by trauma and tragedy. This develops through violence, sex, and mental instability.

As a reader, I want desperately for Yoon Bum to make an escape, but his borderline personality disorder disrupts his vision of Sangwoo. It doesn’t help that Sangwoo alternates his behavior from violent to affectionate, or the fact that while they both served in the military, Sangwoo saved Bum from being raped. Koogi paints the harsh realities of military life that get swept under the rug in the name of national pride and national defense. It is important to see all sides in this story.

Bum sees a shining light in Sangwoo, though the latter is dealing with his own issues of past abuse and the uncanny resemblance Sangwoo says Bum has of his mother. This reveal is obviously the only thing that is keeping Bum alive. Sangwoo looks at Bum and sees his mother. He even makes Bum dress in a skirt and forces him to do chores around the house, thereby forcing Bum into a role of affection.

Bum acquiesces out of fear and love. Sangwoo has beaten him and followed up those actions with a kiss (many kisses), not to mention other activities as well (Like I said, this is a mature Boys Love comic). Sangwoo gives Bum what he wants, but keeps him locked against his will and punishes him when he steps out of line.

This comic is not for the faint of heart, nor the very squeamish. The frames drawn by Koogi are disturbingly realistic with anguish, pain and depression reading on both of our protagonist’s faces. It almost feels like love and sincerity are actually blooming between the two, but with their many problems it is hard to discern if tragedies will continue.

I enjoyed this story and recommend it to those of you who can handle it. Accounts can be set up for free at www.Lezhin.com. The subscription based website has many comics for all types of readers. I’ll be diving into some action comics next.

Until next time…

]]>http://talknerdywithus.com/2017/12/04/killing-stalking-comic-review/feed/174984New Jersey Comic Convention 2017 RoundUphttp://talknerdywithus.com/2017/11/21/new-jersey-comic-convention-2017-roundup/
http://talknerdywithus.com/2017/11/21/new-jersey-comic-convention-2017-roundup/#respondTue, 21 Nov 2017 18:09:28 +0000http://talknerdywithus.com/?p=74892This weekend marked another success for the annual New Jersey Comic Convention in Edison, New Jersey. There was such a huge amount of fun packed into just two short days. As you walked through the exhibit floor, it was great to see all the different fandoms that were represented. At every turn there was something to keep all ages entertained.

Throughout the convention, there was so much going on… In one area there was an Artist Alley where many artists rented booths to showcase their talents. On their tables you would find prints of their artwork, buttons, enamel pins, calendars and anything you could possibly think was customizable.

A little bit further down you find yourself in the Cosplay Corner where so many different fandoms were found. Fans put on their best outfits and were so excited to pose for photos. Everyone from Jedi’s to Supernatural brothers were in attendance and it was amazing to see the details that went into every look.

During the convention there were exhibitors selling all kinds of merchandise and one booth even sold the coolest props from movie sets! Panels went on both days and everyone was great with their fans. One highlight of the convention was when an exhibitor set up his green screen and for a small amount of money you could get put into any background of your choosing. My partner got to become a superhero, finding himself on the cover of an X-MEN comic and that was pretty fun to watch. All in all this weekend was a hit and a definite can’t miss for next year.

]]>http://talknerdywithus.com/2017/11/21/new-jersey-comic-convention-2017-roundup/feed/074892Dragon Con Interview with Comic Book Writer Kelly Sue DeConnickhttp://talknerdywithus.com/2017/09/15/dragon-con-interview-with-comic-book-writer-kelly-sue-deconnick/
http://talknerdywithus.com/2017/09/15/dragon-con-interview-with-comic-book-writer-kelly-sue-deconnick/#respondFri, 15 Sep 2017 14:00:07 +0000http://talknerdywithus.com/?p=74343I got a chance to have a brief conversation with comic book writer Kelly Sue DeConnick. We talked about the comic book industry and how it’s changing. We also talked about how she got to write for Marvel’s Captain Marvel. Check out our interview below.

What are you nerding out about?

My most intense and upsetting nerding is about Tormund Giantsbane. Because they have either killed him off panel or they are going to have to like play with plausibility, because if he was at the top of that wall when it came down, there is no way that my boy is still around.

Where do you see the world of comic books going in the future?

If I knew I’d be making investments. I am concerned for the longevity of the direct market. I’m going to interrupt myself to tell a story and then I’ll comeback.

There’s a bookstore in Kansas called Rainy Day Books. It is a small bookstore, but people who are very passionate about what they do run it. When common sense was saying that Borders and Barnes & Noble and Amazon combined with what they could do price wise, we’re going to bury all of the independent bookstores. Rainy Day Books was providing services that none of those places were. Rainy Day Books had book clubs going morning to night. They did presale events where they presold books and bring in big authors to give talks. They would presale copies of the books with event tickets. It was worth John Irving to come for the release of his new book because he was going to sale several hundred copies the weekend it came out. That would help his best seller rating. He would just spend a couple hours talking to a group of people that adored him. Rainy Day Books had one author event a month and book clubs. The people who worked there had specialties in the areas that they loved. So if you went in looking for a crime series book, it wasn’t just like the kid who worked at Barnes & Noble trying to help you find the title of the book that you were looking for, instead of being a concierge for you. These were booksellers. People who were like, “what do you like? I’m going to match make for you. If you like this, you’re going to love this and I love this so let me share it with you. And Rainy Day Books thrived and outlived Borders and I think they do better than the local Barnes & Noble. It succeeds because they understand that it can’t beat Amazon at Amazon’s game, but none of them can be Rainy Day Books. None of them are offering that personal community hub and matchmaking service that Rainy Day Books has. And I think the same thing will happen with the direct market.

The comic shops that are one’s where you have the androids dungeon stereotype, the gate-keepery dudes in sweatpants who smell like pot who won’t get off their chair, dude that’s great for your fucking garage sale, but this is a business. Those dudes aren’t going to last. The shops like Third Eye Comics, that do what Rainy Day Books doses, that has a real community and have a real passion for this and act as a community hub and has matchmakers, those bookstores will survive and thrive I think. What’s going to happen to our distribution model, I have no idea. I am concerned about various monopolies in our industry, I don’t know what to do to fix that and I don’t know where we’re headed. Comics won’t die. Comics will never die, as long as you can tell stories with words and pictures there will be comics. What our industry is going to look like, how profitable it will be and what the avenues of distribution will look like, I don’t know.

Do you think that aspect of the change disrupts how you write story or are you adapting now to the new market?

It’s interesting. I was having a conversation with my husband, Matt Fraction, and Warren Ellis about this the other day. I’ve been toying with pitching a graphic novel and I have a very limited window where I can take on a project. My workload is fairly intense as it is and I probably shouldn’t do it, but there is this story I want to tell. I was thinking about the difference for me and writing a graphic novel is significantly less work than writing the same number of pages and issues because of the way you need to deliver your issues. Each issue needs to have a beginning, middle and end. And each has to add up to a larger story. Whereas with a graphic novel, you can approach it more like a novel, a very short novel. So you don’t have to have a complete story every sixteen to twenty-four pages. You don’t have to have to have a beginning, middle and end every sixteen to twenty-four pages. It’s a very different structure. It’s a very different rhythm. So what ends up happening, in effect from my mind, I’ll end up planning five stories to do a five issue collection that becomes a trade, but if I’m doing a graphic novel that’s the same number of pages, I’m only planning one story, and it’s a significantly different workload and that was interesting to me.

How did the process of you writing for Captain Marvel come about and where do you see the story going?

The first series came out in 2012 and I started pitching it in 2010, at least I opened a document in in 2010, so it took about two years before it came. The pitch process was really slow. It took about six months and then I did some development, so the first issue came right at 2012. Steve Wacker gave me the gig. He’s since moved on to Marvel Animation. He really championed the project and championed me as well, and I am very grateful. It was Steve’s idea to put Carol in pants and make her Captain Marvel. Those are two things I’m often credited with, that was not me. I thought there was no way I’m gong to get more than six issues, so I planned a six-issue story. The first arc where we did In Pursuit Of Flight story where we did time travel, because I was like ‘I’m only getting six issues and I want to talk about lady aviators, so time travel it is.’ Then you can tell I had no idea where I was going. So I did a two-issue Monica Rambeau story to buy myself some time. The book did better than what was expected, so they gave us an opportunity to relaunch with a new number one. I understood why they were doing it. I was glad that they believed in the book and wanted to give it that kind of marketing bump, but I was also heartbroken because Filipe Andrade, Dexter Soy and Emma Ríos, and everyone that worked on that first run, we spent so much time building up this cast of supporting characters of Carol’s life on Earth and then we had to do something to make it new for the new arc and they really wanted her to go to space. But then they paired me with David Lopez and I loved him and we had a wonderful time. We changed the tone and made it much lighter. It was modeled after the old Buck Rogers television show. I don’t know where the story is going in the future; I haven’t kept up, not for any lack of love for Carol. But it’s like when you break up wit someone you have to put everything in a box for a while. I’m glad she’s doing well; I don’t want to hear about how well she’s doing with other people.